


A Fairy, A Doctor, and A Big Blue Box

by Chibifukurou



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Nabari no Ou
Genre: Crossover, Fix-It, Gen, Wordcount: 15.000-25.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-03
Updated: 2011-06-03
Packaged: 2017-10-20 02:04:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/207617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibifukurou/pseuds/Chibifukurou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Spoilers for end of Nabari No Ou]</p><p>Miharu wasn't expecting a blue box to appear in Thobari-sensei's backyard. But the strange people who come out of the box don't seem to be ninjas. And if they are they're even worse ninjas than he is.</p><p>He soon discovers that they were forced to land do to interference from a Multi-dimensional being. Which seems like utter nonsense until it's discovered that the being in question is the Shinra Banshou. The being that was sealed inside his life force years before, and has been seeking a way to escape ever since. Unfortunately for the Shinra Banshou, the Doctor knows how to handle Multi-dimensional beings. After a short trip to get the hijustu out of his body, it's into the void for the Shinra Banshou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fairy, A Doctor, and A Big Blue Box

**Author's Note:**

> A big Thank You to Madame Marigold/Smoking Cougar for coming through for me with an amazingly quick beta after all my other betaes were unable to help.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This story was written for personal enjoyment and entertainment purposes.

  
**Chapter One**   


  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Kumohira-sensei slammed his hands against the cafeteria table. He leaned over until his face stopped a few inches from mine. His unkempt, spiky black hair tickled my nose. I had to force down a sneeze. "You need to get over this Mihura-kun."

"Why?" Nobody seemed to understand what Yoite had meant to me. They expected me to move on with my life, like I didn't even miss him. Only Kouichi-kun and Gau-kun seemed to understand.

"Because your behavior isn't healthy!"

"I was fine before you and Kouichi-kun got involved with my life. I'll be fine again." I just wanted people to stop worrying about me. They're attention hurts me.

"You weren't fine!." He slammed his hand against the table again. Kouichi-kun's lunch tray jumped. His chopsticks and dishes rattled. He looked up from his food to glare at Sensei. He'd been ignoring our conversation up until that point but we seemed to have his attention now. Looking over Sensei's shoulder I saw that all of the students at the surrounding tables were staring at us as well

Sensei of course felt no shame for his overly emotional behavior. "You were apathetic about everything." He continued. "I thought you'd finally gotten past your apathy and now we're right back where we started."

I looked down at the table, unwilling to meet his eyes. "I miss Yoite."

He leaned back on his heels, his body sagged, and he blew out a large sigh. "That's no excuse. Yoite wouldn't want you to become apathetic again. He was as happy as the rest of us when you found a reason for living."

"Yoite was my reason for living."

"Mihura-kun, please, you need to be reasonable."

Reasoning with him wouldn't work, then. Sometimes I hated how much he worried about me. I knew it was only because of how much he cared for my mother, but it was still troublesome. I gathered myself up and let my face shift into a carefree, innocent smile. "I'm fine Kumohira-sensei. You don't need to worry, I just need a little time. You don't want to upset me do you?

"I—I." He stiffened, his face frozen into a horrified grimace. It had been a long time since I used that trick on him but it appeared as affective as ever.

I took advantage of his distraction to grab my school bag and make for the cafeteria's doors. "I'll see you at the house later. Okay Kumohira-sensei?" I called over my shoulder.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Kouichi-kun found me on the school roof, leaning against the wall beside the stairwell's access door. He slid down to sit beside me. The soft autumn wind made his spiky white hair flutter around his face. "You are evil incarnate."

I refused to feel guilty. "He deserves it. He shouldn't try to make me forget about Yoite."

"If you're not nicer, I'll tell Hana-chan." Despite his truly diabolical threat, he held a squeeze-box of milk out to me. Shaking it so that I could hear the lovely sound of milk sloshing.

I grabbed it out of his hands and propped it between my knees with a pleased hum. "Thanks Kouichi-kun."

"You're welcome." He leaned against the wall, watching the sky as I drank my milk, having to bat his hair away from his glasses every time a particularly strong gust roared over the roof's edge.

As I began slurping up the last dredges of my milk, he spoke again. "I know you're not as apathetic as you're pretending to be. I'm older than Kumohira-sensei, and I can wait until you're ready to talk."

I nodded, grateful for his understanding. It was sometimes easy to forget about his immortality. He was good at acting like a typical teenage boy, but at times like this his age was obvious.

"Just try not to be too hard on Sensei, okay? He really does care about you."

"I know."

"As long as you know, I'll do my best to keep him off your back."

"Thank you."

"Sure, just make sure you don't stay up here for too long. You don't want to miss class." He gave me a happy smile, that crinkled his reddish brown eyes up at the corners, before heading back into the school.

I stayed on the roof, staring at the clouds, until the next bell rang. Kumohira-sensei wouldn’t report me as absent no matter how angry he was.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Pushing the rice door open I entered Grandmother's restaurant, the Okonomiyaki Taibanten. The earthy smell of grilled cabbage and fish flakes filled my nose. It was a quiet afternoon in the shop only two patrons and nobody I knew too well. I'd been worried that Kumohira-sensei would be laying in wait. He knew I couldn't ignore him if he came to the restaurant.

"Well if it isn't Miharu-chan. You look nice today sweetie." Yamada-sama said, her wrinkled face crinkling up into a pleased smile. She sat across from Ito-sama. The two of them sipped tea their table suspiciously empty of food. Here to gossip again, no doubt.

"Thank you Yamada-sama." I slipped behind the counter and grabbed my frog apron off the hook. "Good afternoon, Grandmother."

She looked up from where she was mixing together a bowl of Okonomiyaki batter. She waited for a beat before replying, her attention on cracking the eggs one handed."Hello Miharu. Did you have a good day at school?

"It was fine." I lied.

"Your teacher, Kumohira-sensei, called. He said that you were having some problems." Soba gave me a sad smile.

I wished I could explain why I was feeling so apathetic. She'd been so proud when I had found love and become the person she always swore I would become when I grew up. "I'm fine Soba. I promise."

Now I was back where I started. It hurt knowing I couldn't comfort her, but I wasn't ready to come out from behind the shield I'd built around myself. Is this how I'd become so apathetic after Mother died? Had I been in this much pain? If so, I didn't feel as guilty for hiding away.

She handed me a small bowl of the batter. "Alright. Can you serve Yamada-sama and Ito-sama for me?"

"Of course." I kissed her on the cheek, the closest I could come to an apology, before I headed out into the restaurant's main room. Yamada-sama and Ito-sama were leaning across their table so that they could whisper to each other. "How would you like your Okonomiyaki today?" I asked.

They jumped away from each other, allowing me to turn the griddle, that took up the entire center of the table, on without catching their clothes on fire. Ito-sama gave me amused smile. "How about a Miharu special?"

Nodding, I poured a thin layer of batter onto the griddle. When bubbles started rising up through the batter, I added cabbage, this sliced bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Before adding another layer of batter on top. Ito-sama and Yamada-sama continued to discuss who was dating who and which of their various relatives had done something stupid. And I continued to do my best to ignore them.

Kumohira-sensei came in while I was busy flipping the Okonomiyaki. I dropped it back onto the griddle with a splat and used my left hand to throw my spare spatula at his head.

He of course ducked, but at least it made me feel better. I braced myself for another one of his well intentioned rants involving my responsibilities to the Nabari world. I don't know what he thought our conversations would prove. It wasn't like I'd ever wanted to be a ninja. I hadn't asked to inherit the Hijutsu. It might give its bearer unlimited power but it had caused me nothing but trouble.

"What are you doing here Kumohira-sensei?" Grandmother asked. She never seemed to understand that I didn't want to spend a lot of time with Sensei. He was an old family friend and that meant he deserved respect. Even if he did act like an idiot.

Sensei scratched at the back of his head a bit sheepishly. "Hana-chan asked me to come get you. She wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Gau-san is coming into town for a visit this weekend."

Well that was a reason to put up with Sensei. "Grandmother?"

She gave me a pleased smile. "Just finish making Ito-sama and Yamada-sama's order then you go."

"Thank you Grandmother. It would be good to see Gau-kun again."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"Miharu-san!" Gua-kun pulled me into a tight hug. His boney elbows dug into my sides.

"It's good to see you again Gau-kun."

Holding me loosely by the shoulders, he gave me a measuring look. "Still not feeling well?"

Not another worrywart. "No."

"Well that's alright." He gave a bright smile. "Just don't let Raimei-chan catch you sulking or she'll hit you again."

"Are you talking about me?!" Raimei-chan called, stomping into the room . Her long, blond pigtails swung with every step, hitting the stack of dishes piled high in her hands.

Gua backed away from her, waving his hand in a placating manner. He looked like a sheepish hedgehog with his wiry black hair sticking up in all directions "No, no, just telling Miharu-san a joke."

"What's the joke?"

"Um, well, it's not something proper to tell a lady." I had to admit I was impressed, I'd never seen someone blush on command before.

Raimei-chan didn't buy it. She marched right up to Gua-kun and socked him on the head. "You were talking about me." She grabbed him by the ear and dragged him towards the dining room. "Just for that you can help me set the table."

Hana-chan came up wrapped her arms around me in a hug. She was so warm. "How have you been Miharu-kun?"

"I've been well, Hana-chan."

"I'm glad." She ran her fingers through my hair. She was the only who could make it lie flat. "It's been hard without Yoite."

I relaxed into her body. The her hand-knit sweater rubbed against me cheek. The smell of wool reminding me sharply of the scent of the sweater Yoite had been knitting when he died. Still, I was pleased that for once I wasn't the only one who was willing to talk about Yoite. "I miss him."

"So do I sweetie, but you can't let that stop you from living.

"Why not?" I couldn't help replying. It was petulant of me, but I felt like being selfish.

"Because you have to live for both of you now."

"I-" I'd never thought of it that way before.

"The table is set. Let's eat!" Raimei-chan yelled.

Hana-chan kissed my forehead. "We better go before they eat everything Gua-kun and I made. Between Raimei-chan and Kouichi-kun, I think they could eat all of the food in the house.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"I have a surprise for everybody!" Gua-kun announced after dinner.

Sensei groaned. "Please tell me you didn't make another cake."

Gua-kun frowned and put his hands on his hips, bending down to get in Sensei's face. It never failed to amaze me how fearless he was despite the fact that he didn't have any ninja abilities. "That's a horrible thing to say, Kumohira-sensei."

"It's the truth." Sensei insisted stubbornly. He turned so that he was looking in the other direction. "You can't bake, I don't care what you say."

"I can too bake. You just don't have the sophisticated palate required to enjoy my cooking."

"If by sophisticated palate you mean that I'd have to have no sense of taste to enjoy your cooking, I have to agree."

"Yoite liked my cooking. "Everybody but Gua-kun and I froze. Gua-kun continued on as if he didn't notice the awkward silence. "And I haven't gotten any complaints from my dorm mates.

Despite everyone else's reactions, Miharu was grateful for how normal Gua-kun acted about Yoite's death. It was good knowing that he and Hana-chan weren't the only one who remembered the good times they'd had with Yoite.

Sensie finally broke through the silence to demand. "Shut up and serve the cake already."

"Fine, I will!" Gua said. "But you're not getting any."

"What! This is my house. You can't just refuse to give me cake in my own house!.

"I thought you said you didn't want any."

"He's right Thobari-sensie you did say that." Kouichi-kun agreed.

"You be quiet. Just serve me a piece of cake already."

"Fine, but don't blame me if you don't like it." Gua cut the cake up and handed a piece to everyone but Sensei. But he gave the biggest piece to me.

I poked at it with a fork. Not in the mood to eat. After he finished his own piece, Gua moved around the talbe to sit down next to me. "Aren't you going to try some."

"I'm not really hungry."

"That's alright. You can have some later. For now, why don't you come and help me get my surprise?"

"Sure." I don't have anything better to do. Leaves the partially eaten cake on the table, I followed Gua-kun out onto the porch. There is a box sitting next to the neatly lined up school loafers. Gua picks it up and held it out to me. "It's for you."

The package rustles and I eyed it suspiciously. Still I couldn't help but be a little bit curious. I pulled the ridiculous pink bow off of the package and pulled the lid off. A tiny black kitten popped its head out and he stared at me with his gray eyes that seemed just a little too big for his face.

"I've been calling him Yoite. I found him in an alleyway behind my school's gym. His okaasan died and I figured he could use some family." Gau said, reaching out to scritch behind the kitten's ears.

Yoite-kitty closed his eyes in bliss and sunk into my arms, purring. "Thank you Gua-kun."

"You're welcome."

"Gua-san where did you hide the cake?" Kumohira-sensei yelled.

Gua-kun smiled at me."I better go in before Kumohira-sensei tears the kitchen apart. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I cuddled the kitten tighter against my chest, and carried him over to where Yoite's rocking chair still sat looking out over the garden.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


The next afternoon found Yoite-kitty and me back in Yoite's rocking chair. It was a wonderful day for to sit out in the garden. The sun was warm and the wind light. Before I knew it, my eyes were growing heavy from the lullaby of Yoite-kitty's purr.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke Gua-kun was leaning over me holding out a slice of cake and a cup of lemon cider. I was surprisingly hungry. Perhaps sleeping for so long without being bothered by nightmares was good for me.

Taking his own plate of cake over to the edge of the porch, Gua-kun sat down. Together we ate our snack and watched the sun set. It was the most at peace I'd felt since Yoite's death.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


  
**Chapter Two**   


  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


I slipped through Hana-chan's gate and into the garden. Yoite-kitty was stalking a butterfly around the roses. I left him to it and headed for the kitchen.

Gua-kun had returned to his school the previous day. He'd only had from after school Saturday to Sunday afternoon before he'd had to take a train back. I missed him already. K-kun did his best but even with his immortality he didn't seem to be able to understand my problems.

A cup of lemon cider calmed me down. My thoughts slowed and I was able to feel something besides pissed. Kumohira-sensei had only been trying to help, I knew that, but I wished he was less pushy.

I didn't need to have him following me around the school ranting about getting over loosing Yoite. And M-chan wasn't helping matters. She kept trying to convince me that a good spar would make me feel better.

I hadn't even been able to hide on the roof, since Sensei had tracked me there. The rarely used boys bathroom on the third floor wasn't nearly as relaxing.

"Miharu-chan is that you?" Hana-chan called.

"Yeah."

She came into the room dressed in a khaki shirt and pants, her long blond hair was twisted into a bun and tucked under a tan sun hat. "Oh good, I was hoping I'd see you before I had to go."

"Where are you going?" Hana-chan couldn't leave me, not now.

"I just got a call from an old friend. He was supposed to take a half-dozen archeological students on a dig down in Egypt, but he got sick. He asked me to take over for him."

"When will you be back?"

"In a week or two. Almost before you know it." She tapped me on the nose with her finger. Trying to cheer me up.

It didn't work. I didn't want to think about having her gone. I wouldn't even be able to visit the house if she wasn't here to keep an eye on Sensei.

"What's got you so upset, sweetie? Your frowning hard enough to curdle your cider." She joked.

I let my face shift into an innocent smile. "Oh, nothing is wrong Hana-chan. I'm happy for you. It's not like your leaving me alone to face Kumohira-sensei's wrath or anything."

"Oh you!" She pulled me into a tight hug. "I promise I'll call every day. And if Thobari-kun bothers you I'll yell at him. Alright?"

"I guess."

She kissed my forehead. "Tell Thobari-kun I'll be back in a few weeks. And make sure to take care of Yoite-kitty while I'm gone, alright."

I nodded, already tired of discussing her leaving. There didn't seem to be any way to keep her from going so I might as well give up.

Kissing my forehead one last time, she gave me a sweet kiss, before leaving the kitchen. I could hear the thump, thump of her rolling suitcase as she left the house and headed down the rough garden path. There was a creek, thump of the gate closing. Then I was alone again.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Yoite-kitty kept me company as I knitted. I'd decided to finish the scarf Yoite had started before his death, he wanted to be able to wear it when the weather turned cold again and it wasn't long enough for that yet.

Whenever I lost my focus and let the skein of yarn slip out from between my legs to fall onto the porch, Yoite-kitty would take advantage. He'd steal the skein, seeming to take particular glee in batting the ball of yarn off of the porch to roll across the garden. The cream colored wool got little bit grayer every time he did this, but I didn't have the heart to yell at him. Not when he was so cute.

He'd stalk the ball of yarn, sinking down into a pouncing position. His tiny butt would stick straight up in the air. His tail waving about like a flag. Then he'd reach out to bat at it with the tips of one paw. The yarn would skitter away and he'd follow. The cycle starting all over again, until either I took the yarn away or he pretended to lose interest. Annoyed with his inability to catch the ball.

He'd just managed to knock the skein off of the rocking chair and across the yard, for what had to be the tenth time, when the wind suddenly picked up. What few ninja instincts I had, were sending off all kinds of alarms. Dropping my knitting, I jumped to my feet. Spinning my empty knitting needle around so that it pointed out, I held it like a kunai. This was definitely a good reason to use a sharpened bamboo needle instead of the plastic ones Hana-chan had recommended I start with.

I waited to see who was stupid enough to use a transport justu to enter the house of the Bantam village leader. Yoite-kitty seemed to share my feelings of wariness, arching his back and hissing.

A soft whooop, whoop seemed to fill the garden, growing louder as the seconds past. Whoever was coming wasn't doing a very good job of being stealthy. Something flickered in the corner of my eye. I turned my head. Trying to catch sight of the mysterious something, but there didn't seem to be anything there. Maybe whoever was transporting in was sneaker then I'd given them credit for.

Yoite-kitty edged towards the small pond that took up the east end of the garden. He hissed. His claws kneading the earth. At least one of them seemed to be able to see their visitor. I followed his example, jumping off the porch and heading towards the pond. I'd only made it a few steps when a door seemed to spring up out of nowhere and three people tumbled out. I blinked a few times trying to clear my vision. It seemed to work, since a blue, wooden box popped into existence.

Well that was new. I'd never heard of a ninjitsu technique that involved a large blue box with a flashing light at the top. Still, that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. It could just be an illusion jutsu like Fuuma-sama used.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


The three people who'd come out of the box didn't seem to be paying me any attention. It was like they didn’t even know where they were.

"Where are we this time, Doctor?" The red-headed woman asked. She stuck her lower lip out in a pout, her hands on her hips. "You promised that this time we'd have a nice honeymoon. No space fishes, Egyptian gods, or crazed aliens."

The shorter man, dressed in a plaid shirt and a strange multi-pocketed vest was the one who replied. "I'm sure it's not his fault. The TARDIS was acting a little strange. I'm sure once we figure out what is troubling her, we'll be off to the Asgard space resort. Just like he promised. Right Doctor?"

"What?" The second man, the doctor I presumed, had been studying his watch with worrying intensity. Now, he spun around to face his companions. Who were staring at him expectantly. "Oh, right, right. One quick stop and then it's off to the resort for a bit of R&R."

"So where are when then? Or should I say when? And what do we have to fix so that we can get out of here?"

The doctor had gone back to studying his watch. "It stopped." He finally said, sounding more than a bit accusing.

Both of his companions tensed. The man tensed and fell into a defensive position. He spun so that his back was to his friends, and started scanning the area. I would have been insulted by the way he dismissed me as a threat. If I hadn't realized how ridiculous I must look. A teenage boy dressed in a school uniform and fuzzy, pink house slippers, and holding a knitting needle.

Yoite-kitty seemed to take being dismissed as a threat worse than me. He hissed and pounced on the man's booted foot. Trying to prove his valor. The man didn't seem impressed.

The woman seemed more impressed, but her reaction wasn't any better. "Oh look at the cute kitty!" She cried, scooping Yoite up and cuddling him to her chest. He tried to claw her and get away, but didn't have much luck. He was still to tiny to do much damage to a skein of yarn. A person was beyond his abilities.

Now that it was clear there wasn't anyone lurking to attack them, the woman turned her attention back to the doctor. "So, what could make your watch stop?"

"I don't know but it's very strange." He held his wrist up to his ear. And shook it slightly. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know if there is a multi-dimensional being in the area, do you?"

It took me a minute to figure out he was talking to me. And another minute to figure out how to reply to that strange of a question. "Not that I know of."

"Hmmm, well there has to be one around here somewhere. This watch is guaranteed to work for 1,000 years unless there is some sort of multi-dimensional interference." He clapped his hands together and smiled a manic smile that would have done Fumma-sama proud. "So if I was a multi-dimensional being trapped on earth. Where would I hide?"

"Well not here. I mean the only ones here are the kid and a kitten." The man replied."

"A kitten." The doctor rubbed his hands together and went over to look a Yoite-kitty. Who was still pinned against the woman's chest. Though he seemed less mad now that she's started scratching his ears. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about a dimensional rift." He asked.

Yoite-kitty scratched him on his large nose.

"Honestly Doctor. You'd think that you expected the cat to talk to you."

"Well you never know. I once knew a whole order of cat women. The hard part was getter them to stop talking."

That was a strange thing to say, even for a ninja. I couldn't help asking. "Who are you?"

The doctor yanked nervously at his bowtie. "That's a very good question. Do you mind if I ask you one first?"

I wasn't in the mood to be nice. "You just did."

He tugged his bowtie harder. "So I did. Another question then?"

"All right." I could always refuse to answer.

"Where are we? And when."

"You're in Kumohira-sama's garden and it's the end of summer."

The doctor and the woman didn't seem to get my sarcasm. They just stared at me. While the man stifled his chuckles by clapping a hand over his mouth. Finally the doctor seemed to recover. "That wasn't exactly what I meant."

I widened my eyes into my best innocent look. The one that always worked on Kumohira-sensei. "What else could you mean? It's not as though you don't know the date, right?" I asked, fishing for information. The Nabari world used a different calendar so there was no telling if he'd know the actual date.

"Well you see, I'm just horrible with dates. Can't keep them in my head. I'm a bit thick you see." He tapped his forehead with his fingers.

I took that to mean he was an idiot. "So what are you asking?"

The woman, Amy-san, came over to me. Giving me an innocent smile of her own, she fluttered her eyelashes and said. "Well you see we're a bit lost. And we were hoping that a fine young man like yourself could tell us what year it was and maybe what city we are in?"

I fluttered my eyelashes back at her. "No."

She stared back at me slack-jawed. If she had actually thought that her poor attempt at flirtting was going to impress me she obviously didn't have a clue who she was dealing with.

I heard a snort and looking around Amy-san, I saw that the second man had clapped his hand over his mouth again. When he caught me looking, he winked. Pulling his hand away from his mouth he came over to me and slung an arm around Amy-san's shoulders. He held out the other hand to me, open palmed.

I stared at it. After a few seconds he seemed to catch on and tucked it into his pocket. "Look, I'm sure this is really confusing, but I swear we're not here to cause any trouble. If you can tell use when and where we are, we'll be out of your hair before you know it."

I was still suspicious. "Why don't you come in for some cider and we'll discuss who you are and what you are doing in Kumohira-sama's garden." Kumohira-sensei would come home soon and hopefully he'd be able to sort this mess out.

"That sounds like a great idea. Doesn't it Rory." The doctor announced. I jumped, somehow he'd managed to come up beside us without me noticing. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, and another on the man's and guided us towards the porch. "I love a good cup of cider."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"This taste's terrible." Amy-san complained sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes.

It was very disrespectful, but I found myself having to hide a smile. She reminded me a lot of Raimei-chan. Brash, blunt, and used to getting her way. Yoite-kitty seemed to share the feeling, when she'd let go of him to grab a cup cider he'd run for it, climbing up Hana-chan's shelf of archeology books. I could see his little ears just barely sticking out over the edge. But I wasn't going to tell Amy-san that.

The bookshelf was his favorite hiding spot when Raimei-chan came to visit and I didn't want him to find a new hiding spot. I felt better knowing where he was at all times.

The doctor, who still hadn't bothered to announce his family name, hadn't even bothered to try the cider. Instead, he was inspecting everything in site with a strange red-lenses magnifying glass. Muttering to himself the whole time. I was beginning to suspect that being 'thick' was code for being insane.

Of the three of them, the second man seemed to be the only sane one. Though I had yet to even hear him speak more than a sentence or two. So perhaps he was just quieter with his insanity.

He seemed to sense my attention and turned away from watching Amy-san to stare at me. There was something about him that seemed familiar. It was something about his eyes. They reminded me of Kouichi-kun's. Could he be another immortal created by the Shinra Banshou? But that didn't make sense he had brown hair and brown eyes. Nothing like Shijima-sama or Kouichi-kun.

"So you still haven't told us your name?"

"I'm Miharu Rokujou. And you haven't introduced yourselves either."

He smiled sheepishly. Still spookily reminding me of Kouichi-kun. "I suppose we haven't. I'm Rory Williams and this is my wife Amy Pond." He gave her a sappy smile. "And that over there." He motioned with his head towards the other man. "Is the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?"

"Just THE Doctor."

I stared at him in disbelief. Surely he wasn't trying to tell me that the man had no name. He raised his hands in a appeasing gesture. "I know, I know. That doesn't make sense. But Amy's known him since she was a kid and that's all he's ever called himself. Well that and a mad man in a box."

This Rory Williams was definitely as crazy as the other two. "A mad man in a box?" I parroted.

Rory-san looked even more sheepish. Amy-san patted him on the shoulder. "Oh don't mind Rory. The Doctor works fine as a name. In fact I called him the Raggedy Doctor for years and he never seemed to mind."

"Is that true, Raggedy-sama?" I asked.

Doctor-sama froze in the middle of investigating one of Kumohira-sensei's scrolls. Then spun around to stare at me. His red magnifying glass still held in front of his eye. He opened his mouth and I braced for a reprimand for calling him something so informal.

Instead, his eyes grew wide behind the red glass and he bounded over to me. "It's you." He said, voice one part incredulous and one part fascinated.

"What's me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a strange bronze wand with a glowing green tip out of his suit coats inner pocket and started waving it up and down in front of me. The strange instrument buzzed and warbled and I started to back away. Doctor-sama loped after me. Babbling to himself all the while. Something about impossible and improbable. And the likelihood of my unraveling the very fabric of reality.

He sounded like Sensei when he went off on one of his rants about the stupidity of using the Fairy's power. But that didn't make any sense. Even the leaders of the ninja clans hadn't been able to identify me until the Hijutsu activated. If he could see it when it was dormant, then he was a dangerous ninja indeed. People would kill for that kind of power.

It took a few minutes, but he finally seemed to lose interest in me. Busy turning his wand this way and that and hmmming at it. Finally, he seemed satisfied and stuck it back into his pocket. "Life force energy based fighting techniques. And a Multi-Dimensional life form attached the life force of a school boy. I can definitely see why the TARDIS brought us here."

So he did know about the fairy.

"So, now the question becomes, did you know that there was a Multi-Dimensional being living inside your body?" He looked into my eyes like he was trying to see the fairy lurking there.

"Yes. I know. She speaks to me."

"She's capable of direct contact with you?"

I nodded. "She wants me to make a wish so that she can make it come true."

"Why does she care so much about your wishes?"

That was an odd question to ask. I thought everyone in the Nabari world knew the story. "A long time ago the leaders of every ninja village gathered together to find a way to seal the most powerful ninja technique ever created. It was a scroll of infinite power and whoever possessed it could change the very fabric of the world. So they locked it away inside a sacrificial ninja.

"But their attempts went awry. When they killed the ninja the scroll didn't die with it. It found a new host and lived on, but now it was contained it could only take action when it's host was in danger of dying. Or when they make a wish."

"So that's why it's so hard to find. What wishes have you made with it?" He started patting at his pockets and I thought for a second that he was going to pull his strange wand back out again.

"I haven't made any."

He stared at me. "Not any, not even just for a sandwich or something innocent like that?"

"No, not any. I didn't want this power and I didn't want to use it."

"Not even once? There must have been something you desired."

I thought of Yoite and his wish for me to make it so that he had never existed. I had desired that, at least a little bit. But by the time I'd made peace with the fact that I was going to have to lose him, to grant his wish, he'd changed his mind. "No."

Doctor-sama didn't seem to believe me and I couldn't blame him. I had desired something and if I had been just a little stronger I would have made a wish and let the Fairy's powers out.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


  
**Chapter Three**   


  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Doctor-sama continued to quiz me until Rory-san finally seemed to lose patience. "So if you don't want this power, why haven't you gotten rid of it?"

Doctor-sama answered for me. "Because it's fused with his life force. If he tries to destroy the creature it will kill him."

"But you can fix him, right Doctor? "Amy-san asked.

"It's not exactly that simple."

I didn't feel like dancing around the subject. They might not be after the Shinra Banshou's power, but that might just be a ruse to steal it from me. "If I try to remove it, I die and the power goes to an unknown ninja."

"I'm guessing that's bad?"

"Bad is an understatement, Rory. It could be an absolute catastrophe. If this sort of power fell into the wrong hands it could spell the end of reality. It changes the world by pulling artifacts, people, what have you through the dimensional walls. Every time it does that, the walls weaken a little bit more. The last time that happened an army of Dalek's and Cybermen flooded the universe."

"Was that a bad thing?"

The Doctor stared at me for a second. "Yes. That is a bad thing." Then he threw his hands up in overly-dramatized annoyance. "Why do I keep hooking up with companions who don't notice when the world is about to end."

"Hey!" Amy-san complained, from where she was trying to lure Yoite-kitty off of the bookshelf.

"It's the truth. You didn't even remember that the Dalek invasion happened when I first met you."

"Like it's my fault that there was a crack in all of time and space inside my bedroom wall?"

Rory-san shook his head at the pair of them. "If he doesn't remember what happened with the Dalek's does that mean there was a crack in his wall too?"

"That's a very good question." Raggedy-san turned back to me. "So, do you have any suspicious cracks in your house?"

"No. Not that I remember."

"And why wouldn't you remember if you had a crack in your wall?"

He just had to pick the one subject I least wanted to discuss. "The previous bearer of the Shinra Banshou made it so that everyone would forget what happened ten years ago. I was so young that I forgot more than most."

"Everyone in the whole world?"

I shook my head and stared down into my empty mug so that he couldn't catch my eye. "No, just the Nabari world."

"The Nabari world? What's that?" Amy- san asked. She'd given up trying to lure Yoite-kitty down. Probably a good idea since he'd was usually content to spend the night on top of the shelf, when Reime-chan slept over.

"The Nabari world is the world of ninjas. Part of the responsibilities of every ninja is to make sure that people outside Nabari never learn of its existence."

The Doctor nodded to himself. "So whatever the last host was trying to make everyone forget, it was something that related to the ninjas themselves. Do you have any idea what that was?"

"Who knows? We all forgot."

"But what is forgotten can be remembered. If you know that it was the host that erased the memories than you have to have some idea what they were trying to erase."

I remembered seeing Sensei's memories. Seeing my mother scream over and over again that I didn't have a face. Where was my face? I shuddered. "Some things are better off forgotten."

Doctor-sama nodded. Seeming to accept my reasoning. "Alright then. Let's just say that if at all possible we want to avoid having the dimensional walls break down."

"That won't be a problem. I've made a promise that I'd never use the power and I'll do whatever it takes to keep it." It was the least I could do in memory of my mother and Yoite.

"Good, then hopefully this won't be too hard."

"What won't be too hard?

"We're going to strip the Multi-Dimensional being from your body."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


I leapt to my feet and started backing towards the door.

"Doctor." Rory-san snapped.

"What?"

"Perhaps you should explain things a little better. He just said a couple minutes ago that taking the power out of him would kill him."

"Aw, but that's if you're using the means available on earth. It's not as unusual a problem as you might think. We'll just have to take a little trip and we'll have him back good as new. Well good as new except for the fact that he won't have a parasite preying on his life force."

That did sound promising. But a little too good to be true. "I don't want anyone else to have to get this power."

He flapped his hand at me like I was being exceptionally slow. "That won't be a problem. There are proper ways of disposing of this type of creature. We could have her back where she came from and bring you back here before anybody even knew you were gone."

"Oh please." Amy-san said. "You can't guarantee that he'll be back before anyone notices he's gone. You have the worst sense of timing I've ever seen. It took you nineteen years to come back for me."

"I know that Amy. I was just trying to give our young friend a sense of confidence."

"False confidence you mean." Was Amy-san's rejoinder.

"Well maybe a little, but I'm usually much better at keeping track of time then that."

"Sure you are."

He rolled his eyes at her, before giving me a scarily large grin. "So what do you say? Do you want to get your unfortunate co-inhabitant taken care of?"

"Can it wait for a while?" Kumohira-sensei would hopefully be back soon and he'd be able to tell me if this man was really able to do what he claimed he could. And if he didn't know then Fumma-sama should be able to tell me. "I need to make a few calls."

"I suppose that would be okay." Despite his agreement, he was practically shaking with excitement and impatience. Well ,there was one sure fire way I knew to calm down excitable people like Kumohira-sensei and Raime-chan. "Would you like to eat something while you wait?"

"Oooo food. I bet we could find a great sushi place!" Amy-san yelled. She hadn't been the one I was trying to snare the attention of, but from the way Doctor-sama slumped it was obvious that she was the one with the real power in their little trio.

"I don't know about sushi, but I know a great Okyami restaurant."

"Okyami? I've never heard of it before."

"I'm sure you'll like it."

Doctor-sama sighed. "Well I suppose it would hurt to have a little snack before we head out. You never know what kind of food you'll find on an alien planet."

As if the discussion of Earth technology wasn't bad enough, now he was talking about aliens. "I'll take your word for it."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


I pushed open the doors to Okonomiyaki Taibanten. "I'm back Grandmother, and I brought friends." I called. The restaurant was busy. Almost every table was full of patrons shouting, yelling, eating, and talking. It made for a pleasant din. Grandmother waved at me from a table at the far end. Motioning for me to start working.

I got the trio situated at a small table at the back of the restaurant, before running behind the counter to grab my apron. I grabbed the phone off of the kitchen wall and ducked out of the back door into the herb garden while no one was looking. I slid the door shut behind me so that it was only cracked enough for the cord to fit through.

"Ramei-chan?"

"Mihura-kun! Is something wrong? You never call me so late at night. And K-kun said you snuck out of class early."

"Everything's fine. I was just wondering if you'd heard form Kumohira-sensei? Hana-chan wanted me to say goodbye to him."

"Goodbye?" She yelled. "Where was she going?"

"Apparently an old friend of hers got sick and needed her to run an expedition to Egypt for him."

"Well that stinks. Give me a second and I'll see if I can find out what's holding Sensei up."

The sound coming through the receiver became muted, but I could still pick up the sound of talking and K-kun's voice. Well it looked like they were finally doing something about the crush Raime-chan had on him. That was good.

I propped the phone between my chin and shoulder, before crouching down to weed the garden. At least that way I'd be able to tell Grandmother that I'd been doing something productive while I avoided working in the restaurant.

After a few minutes of indistinct muttering Raime-chan finally came back to the phone. "Koichi-kun says that Kumohira-sensei told him something about having to go to a teachers conference in Tokyo. So he left this afternoon. He'll probably still be late. I really don't know why he insists on walking everywhere. He's managed to survive every train ride we've dragged him onto.”

So Sensei wouldn't be coming back to give him advice. While he pondered how to get around that problem he replied on automatic. "True, but I get the feeling that his Grandfather really did a number on him when he dragged him onto a plane to Japan."

"No kidding. So is there something else you needed?"

"Yeah. Do you know of Sensei took his cell phone with him?"

"You could try calling him, but I'm guessing not. He's about as likely to carry his cell as you are."

True enough, my inability to keep track of a cell-phone had always been one of Yukimi-kun's favorite rants. "Then do you have Fuuma-sama's number?"

"Yeah, I have it. But why do you want it. You've been avoiding the rest of the Nabari world for months." Her voice became louder as she started to panic. "Is something wrong? You know I can come over right away if you need help. And Kouichi-kun will come with me."

"No, no. It's no problem." I did my best to sound innocent. It was harder over the phone. "I just found something that talks about a method to remove the Hijutsu. I wanted Fumma-sama's opinion that's all."

" A way to get rid of the Shinra Bonshou? That would be great!"

"Yeah, so do you have his number?"

"Sure, just give me a second. I think he's hiding out in the regular world right now. So I've got to find that number."

She put the phone down and I could hear her moving papers about and cursing.

"Did you really find a way to get rid of it?" Kouichi-kun asked. His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"I don't know. It sounds too good to be true. That's why I wanted to talk to Fumma-chan."

"If he thinks it will work. Could you try to use it on me first?"

 

"I don't know." I understood why he wanted to have me use the supposed technique. But Doctor-sama hadn't said anything about reversing the affects of the other hosts' wishes. "I didn't see anything about changing things the fairy had changed."

"Just promise me you'll ask Fumma-sama about it?"

"I will."

"Thanks Miharu-kun. Can you do me another favor? Don't tell Raimei-chan about this."

"I won't. But didn't she already hear you asking about it?"

"No, she's off in the kitchen trying to figure out where she wrote Fumma-sama's number."

In the background, I could hear Raime-chan yelling. "SUCSESS!!!"

"I'll talk to you later." Kouichi-kun said before putting the phone back down.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"So you say he came out of a blue box?" Fumma-sama asked. I could hear the soft rustling of scrolls in the background.

"Yes."

"Can you give me a little more description?"

"A blue box isn't strange enough for you?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm looking through over a thousand years of Nabari history here. There have been hundreds of techniques that could cause illusions. And that's not even counting transportation and replacement jutsus. I don't know of any that appear as blue boxes. But that doesn't mean there aren't any. If this man is as knowledgeable about the Shinra Banshou as you say he is, he could belong to one of the lost villages. Which means his technique could be one that has fallen completely out of use by the ninjas in the Nabari world."

I tried to think back and remember what the box had looked like. But it was like my mind's eye didn't want to focus on the image. "I don't know. It was big and blue. And there was a sign on the front and a flashing light on top. But every time I try to remember something more than that, the image of it becomes fuzzy."

"So whatever the spell is, it definitely has some unique qualities. I'll start researching the memory-altering jutsus. One moment. Kato-san do you know anything about a story involving a blue box appearing out of thin air."

There was a loud thump. Then Kato-san was practically yelling into the phone. "Is one of the people that came out of the box named the Doctor."

"Yeah." Surely Doctor-sama wasn't that important.

"Can you tell me exactly what he said about the Shinra Banshou."

"Kato-san what's going on?" Fumma-sama asked.

"There are rumors that the ninjas originally got their powers when a group of travelers fell from the sky. There was a man who came with them, named the Doctor. He traveled in a blue box and the travelers knew him as the oncoming storm. He warned the travelers that if their power ever fell into the hands of anyone outside of the ninja clans, he would return to seal their powers away. It's said that his warning is why the Shimizu clan was created."

I tried to imagine Doctor-sama as a dangerous being who could wipe out the entire Nabari world. But it didn't seem to fit. He was crazy, but he didn't really seem dangerous. "Are you sure it's the same guy?"

"I don't know. That was over one thousand years ago. But the people who researched the legend posited that 'Doctor' was a title passed down from father to son. The travelers believed that if they were ever discovered one of the Doctors would come to wipe them out."

"That doesn't sound at all good." Fumma-sama said.

I had to agree with him. "I really can't see this Doctor wiping anyone out. He has humans with him, so I don't know why he would be against the introduction of non-ninjas into the Nabari world.

"Still, I'd prefer not to make him angry until we have a better idea about why he ended up in your Kumohira-sensei's garden. Did he mention anything about why he came?

"He said something about his TARDIS bringing him here because of the Hijutsu."

“Do you know what the TARDIS is?" I think it's the box.

"Then maybe that's where the Doctors power comes from. It would be worth investigating."

"I really wouldn't advise that, sir." Kato-san interrupted. "We don't want to make him angry. He might not be as dangerous as the other Doctor, but that doesn't mean he isn't a match for any of the Ninja clan leaders. He might even be able to defeat you."

"Well we certainly don't want that. I mean what would the Fumma clan do without my beautiful face to inspire them."

I could just imagine the 'heroic' pose Fumma-sama was striking. He was completely useless when he got into one of these mood. "What do you think I should do Kato-san?"

"Did he say what he what he wanted to do with the Shinra Banshou?"

"He said he wanted to remove it and send it back where it came from. Before it weakened the veils between the dimensions enough that they collapsed."

"That doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't."

Kato-san was quite for a few seconds. "Honestly Miharu-san, I think you have to decide this for yourself. If you truly don't want to have the power of the Hijutsu, this is your best bet to be free of it forever."

"What if he's lying?"

"What do you have to lose if he is?"

"I don't want anybody else to have to deal with this power. It's bad enough when it's me."

"I can understand that, but what you have to realize is that someday you're going to die and the power will get loose. It will find another host and the cycle will begin all over again."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that.

"Just think about it, okay? This might be your only chance to get rid of the Shinra

Banshou forever."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


  
**Chapter Four**   


  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


When I went back into the restaurant, I found the Yamada-san flirting outrageously with Doctor-sama, while Rory-san bussed tables, and Amy-san teased Ito-sama about his 'handsome' features. Grandmother was laughing, happier than I had ever seen her. "There you are Miharu-chan. I was wondering where you snuck off to."

"I was calling Raimei-chan. Kumohira-sensei never came back to his house and I wanted to let him know that his friends had arrived."

"Oh, that was nice of you. Were you able to reach him?"

"No. He's on his way to Tokyo for a conference."

"Don't tell me he's walking again. She shook her head. "That silly boy."

"Would you mind if I stayed over at Thobari's house tonight, just to make sure his guests are taken care of?" I hadn't realized until I asked the question, but I had made a decision about the Doctor's offer. I would go with him. If there was even a small chance that he'd be able to free me from the Fairy then I had to try. It was the only way that I could guarantee that I'd keep my promise to Yoite and my mother.

Grandmother smiled, and patted me on the head. "That's so responsible of you, Miharu-chan. I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

Funny, I hadn't thought about it, but I really was feeling better. I smiled at her, for once not faking the expression. "I'm glad to be feeling better too."

"Why don't you go pack. Rory-san will help me fill the last of the orders, while Pond-san and Doctor-sama keep the customers busy."

I wondered who she meant when she said Pond-sama, then I noticed her motioning to Amy-san. I was a bit surprised I'd assumed she was Williams-sama like her husband. Perhaps the difference in names was common for foreigners.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


It was nighttime by the time we made our way back to Kumohira-sensei's house. We'd stayed at Okonomiyaki Taibanten until after the dinner rush was over.

Amy-san was leaning heavily on Rory-san as we climbed the flights of stairs that lead to the house. I got the feeling that she would have been asleep if Rory-san hadn't been there to prop her up. The Doctor on the other hand still bounced about with some kind of manic energy. One second he was looking out over the staircase railing at the twinkling lights of the village spread out across the village's lower levels. The next he was investigating one of the cherry trees that lined the path.

Finally, Rory-san seemed to have had enough. "Will you calm down, Doctor?"

"But there is so much to see. This place reminds me of Venice."

"Hopefully without the sea-monster alien vampires."

"I turned around to stare at him. "He had to be joking right?

Doctor-sama at least seemed to think he was being serious. "I'm sure it will be fine. We'll be leaving soon"

"That's good. Amy will be glad to get to the Resort."

"Well, we might not be going straight to the Resort."

Rory-san shook his head. "So where will we be going? And you do realize that you're going to be the one who explains this to Amy, right?"

"I'm sure she'll understand." He didn't sound sure.

"Of course she will." The sarcasm was obvious. "So what will we be doing if we're not going to the resort?"

"We need to make a quick pit-stop to take care of our new friend's problem." He motioned towards me.

I turned my attention back to the stairs.

My back itched from the force of Rory-san's gaze. "Yeah, it really seems like he wants our help."

I had to agree with his sarcastic statement.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"So, Mihura, have you decided if you want to come with us so that we can have your parasite taken care of?"

Rory-san had taken Amy-san back into the blue box. And Doctor-sama was taking advantage of his absence to return to his blunt way of speaking. I found it refreshing. I disliked liars and flatterers. Honesty, no matter how brutal, was better. "What will you do to me if I refuse to come with you."

"I hadn't thought about it but I would probably try to use earth technology to get it out of you."

"Why not leave it inside me? It's not like I'm going to use the Hijutsu's power."

He sighed. "I know you don't plan to, but it's not that simple. From what you said this Shira Banshou has a mind of its own. You might not want to use it, but it wants to be used. At some point it will get what it wants. Something this powerful can't be caged indefinitely."

So he agreed with Kato-san. "Could you get it out of me without taking me away?"

Doctor-sama yanked at his bow-tie and shrugged his shoulders. "It might be possible, but it would be dangerous. I'd feel much more comfortable if you came with us in the TARDIS."

"What about my Grandmother? I can't just leave with you without telling her what I am doing." It wasn't actually the truth since I'd successfully managed to disappear for a few weeks when I joined the Kairoshuu. But it made a good excuse for my reluctance to go with him.

"That's the best part. My TARDIS doesn't just travel through space. It travels through time as well!"

"You have a time travel machine?"

"Yep. So do you want to come?"

"I—"

"I promise that I'll do everything in my power to get you home safe and sound." His long face, suddenly fell into a more serious expression. It reminded me of how Kumohira-sensei had looked when he swore to make me the leader of the Nabari world.

"Can I get a few things together first?"

"You don't need to get everything. The TARDIS has everything you could ever need."

I doubted that. "What about Yoite-kitty."

"I'm not sure. The TARDIS isn't really a place for animals. And you'll be back before he even knows you're gone."

"I'm not leaving him."

"He really will be okay on his own for a little while."

I widened my eyes and let my lip quiver. "But what if he gets eaten by an owl. Or he gets lonely while I'm gone. Sensei won't be back for days."

He backed away until his back hit the wall of his blue box. "I really don't think—"

I went in for the kill. Letting tears gather in the corner of my eyes, I said, "Pleeease?"

Doctor-sama folded just like Sensei. "I guess it's all right." Then he seemed to realize that he'd just weakened his position, and hurried to add. "But he better not pee anywhere he's not supposed to. And there will be absolutely no chewing of anything."

I held my hand in a three-finger salute. "Scouts honor."

I headed into the house to grab Yoite-kitty, but before I made it past the porch. Shijima-sama came out of the house, in her feline form, Yoite-kitty hanging from her mouth by the scruff of his neck. Yowling and squealing all the way. Shijima-sma ignored both him and me and walked right to the TARDIS and through the doors.

The Doctor stared after her, his eyes wide.

I expected him to mention the fact that he now had two cats in his box, but he didn't seem to care. Muttering to himself about it figured that this was how cat-humans came into existence.

I decided to ignore his ramblings and slipped into the blue box. The bag I'd packed at Grandmother's house had everything I needed anyway.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


The box was much bigger on the inside and I wondered for a minute if Doctor-sama was using an illusionary-justu on it. But when I went over and felt the strange console in the center of the room, it seemed solid.

Despite it's strange glass floors and the console that looked like a rubbish heap that had been glued together, the box felt comforting. Being inside the TARDIS, whatever that meant, felt like sitting next to Yoite and falling asleep with my head against his shoulder. There was a sense of home, peace, and understanding that I had never felt in any building before. Not even Hana-chan and Kumohira-sensei's house.

"So what do you think?"

I jumped. I hadn't heard Doctor-sama come into the box. I'd been too busy inspecting the strange room.

He grinned at me. "So any profound insights to make? Anything to say?"

I wondered what he expected me to say. There seemed to be something in particular he was fishing for. "It's nice I guess, kind of strange."

His face fell. "That's it?"

"It's really orange?" I tried.

"You're supposed to say it's bigger on the inside." He sighed. "Come on. I'll show you to your room. Just make your cats come with you." He pointed over to where Shiratama sat on the room's steps, daintily licking one paw, while pinning Yoite-kitty under the other.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Once we were safely tucked away in my room, Shiratama transformed back into her human form.

"Hello Shijima-sama. Why did you decide to come along?"

"The Owl told me that you'd found a way to get rid of the Shinra Banshou. It seemed worth observing."

"Oh."

"You didn't ask that strange man about stripping the influence of the Hijutsu from Owl-san."

No, I hadn't. "I must have forgotten. I left her sitting on the bed and went to put my clothes away in the large oak wardrobe that took up most of the room's right wall.

"No you didn't ."

I stopped in the middle of tucking Yoite's hat into the wardrobe. I should have known she'd see through my ruse. She was just as evil as I was. In her own way.

"You don't trust this strange man and didn't want him to force Owl-san to accompany him."

"You're old right Shijima-sama?" It wasn't a very subtle way of changing the subject, but I was willing to go with it.

"Over 150 years."  
"So have you ever hear the rumors about 'The Doctor'."

"The great guardian from the stars, who could wipe the Nabari world out in a single day? That's just a legend. People didn't even believe it during the Edo period."

I tucked Yoite's hat away and turned to meet Shijima-sama's gaze. I wanted to see her reaction. "Kota-san thinks that Doctor-sama is The Doctor. He said that this box matches the description of the box that Doctor used."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "That's impossible. That was over a thousand years ago." Despite her denials she still looked tense. She jumped off the bed. "I've had enough of talking about this. I'm going to go do some exploring." She shifted back into her cat form and meowed imperiously at me.

I opened the door and let her out. Doctor-sama would just have to put up with having a cat wandering his TARDIS.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


After she left I curled up on the bed, Yoite-kitty tucked up under my chin. It had been a long day.

A beautiful woman visited me in my dreams. She glowed golden, her long black hair had a blue sheen, and in her eyes there was a pit, deep and dark.

I felt like it could suck my soul away from my body. I don't think I would have minded. There was something gentle and good about her that had never been present in the 'Fairy'. Despite the fact that the fairy had claimed that the Shinra Banshou existed only to grant my desires.

 

The blue-haired woman whispered to me in a strange lilting language and I felt myself falling further into sleep than I had managed in months. Just before the woman disappeared into the warm darkness of dreamless sleep, I felt something brushing against my mind.

I thought I heard a voice whispering like a breeze. Telling me that everything would be all right. I would find the person I was looking for. But I was too tired to be sure.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Doctor-sama clapped his hands together and bounced about on the balls of his feet, like an excited child. "It took a little searching, but I found the perfect place to get the Multidimensional being pulled out of your life force."

"Where is that?" It was hard to believe that the answer was so simple that Doctor-sama could find it in less than a day. The entire Nabari world had searched for a way to destroy the Hijutsu for years. Dozens of hosts, including my mother, had died. And now this man was saying that he could get rid of it without even hurting me. I was beginning to suspect that he really was Doctor-sama that Kota had said he was.

"It's a healer's planet. The person who runs it specializes in energy based maladies. I don't know if she's ever seen something as serious as your problem, but she should be able to strip it from you easily enough. Since a bunch of energy users sealed the being into your life force. And ones it's out of you it's should be easy enough to send it back into the void where it belongs."

"And then we can go to the resort?" Amy-san asked.

"Of course, once we drop Miharu back at home."

She rolled her eyes. "And then something else will come up. Still, we might as well get this over with." She slung her arm over my shoulders. "So kid, you ready to go have a Multidimensional being of indescribably power pulled out of your body?"

"Why not."

"That was a joke."

"Oh." It hadn't been that funny.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I swear hanging out with you three is like spending time at an old folks home. Everything is gloom and doom."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


I stepped out of the TARDIS and into a dark room. The scents of spices and herbs was heavy on the air. It reminded me of Jinji-chan's healing room.

"Who have you brought to me for healing?" A voice hissed.

I looked around, trying to located the person who was talking, but there was just darkness everywhere I looked.

Doctor-sama didn't seem to notice or care. He strode forward until he was standing in front of me. "I brought a boy who had something sealed into his life force."

"An interesting puzzle indeed."

"I thought you'd be interested. The creature inside of him is a Multi-dimensional being. You won't be able to collect it."

"Not even part of it? You know how lonely I get here."

"No, the whole being has to go into the rift or it will just come back through. You don't want this thing to take you as a host. Not if even half of the stories Miharu has told me are true."

There was the soft whisper of cloth against stone and then a figure came out of the darkness. I couldn't see much about them. They were covered from head to toe with a cloak. "Then I suppose you will be taking it away after the procedure is done. Did you bring me something else to keep me company?"

"Maybe." He turned to me. "Did you bring your cat with you? The white one."

"No. She's still inside the TARDIS."

"Can you go get her, we'll wait here."

Why in the world would he want me to get Shi-san? He hadn't wanted her to come on this trip in the first place. Still, she would be happy to get out of the ship. She always wanted to see new things.

I slipped back into the boxy, leaving the door open a crack so that I could hear what was going on in that strange dark room.

"So, you have new companions. What happened to that nice young woman who was traveling with you all those years ago?"  
"She decided that she didn't want to keep traveling with me."

"How unfortunate."

"Not really, she's happy now! She got married and is doing what she loves." Even from this far away I could hear the forced cheer in his voice.

"Please give her my blessings for a happy partnership."

"Thank you. But I don't think I'll be seeing her any time soon."

"How unfortunate."

I headed into the TARDIS after that. It didn't sound like I'd learn anything more about what this strange person was going to do to me by eavesdropping.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


I ended up bringing both Yoite-kitty and Shijima-sama back with me. Yoite-kitty had meowed so pitifully when I tried to leave him that I hadn't been able to resist scooping him up and cuddling to my chest. Shijima-sama had more dignity than that. She strode proudly beside me, her head and tail held high. Our surroundings were surveyed and dismissed which helped me to relax.

I might not be able to see any of the surrounding area, but Shijima-sama certainly could. And she was more than a match for anything that could come after us.

 

The cloaked stranger and the Doctor were still talking to each other, though they'd moved their conversation to a dark corner of the room. I could just make out the waving of hands and the hissing sound of their whispered conversation.

Amy-san and Rory-san had apparently found their discussion as boring as I did, Rory had found a mini-flashlight somewhere and they were busy investigating a large set of drawers that covered almost the entire wall. Each of the drawers was only a few inches in size, so there was a lot to investigate.

After tucking Yoite-kitty onto my shoulders I went to join them in their investigation. Shijima-sama headed off to join Doctor-sama's conversation.

Amy-san and Rory-san were whispering over the contents of a drawer.

"What do you think it is?"

"It looks kind of like vanilla beans."

I poked at the 'beans'. The pod opened and tried to snap closed on the tip of my finger. I jumped back and Rory-san slammed the drawer shut.

"Okay. So definitely not vanilla beans." Amy-san said unnecessarily.

A sound that was one part shriek and one part yowl came from the corner where the Doctor had been talking. Yoite-kittty hissed and curled tighter around my neck. Turning to see what was going on, I saw that Shijima-sama had somehow managed to climb the cloaked figure and was now determinedly clinging to their head. Thankfully, still in cat form.

I ran across the room and tried to pry her off, but she wouldn't be moved. She even went so far as to scratch me. I backed away fast. Whatever had set her off, she wasn't going to give up until she'd succeeded in her mission.

Doctor-sama wasn't as easily convinced to back off. He took his strange bronze wand out of his suit pocked and started waving it at Shijima-sama. It made a whining noise. Yoite-kitty started hissing and spitting, but Shijima-sama didn't seem to notice whatever it was that Doctor-sama was trying to do. She just claw-ed at the cloaked figure harder.

When he saw that Doctor-sama wasn't having any luck. Rory-san stepped in and attempted to remove Shijima-sama. He didn't back down even when she twisted her body around to scratch at him with three paws. Her teeth and forth paw still sunk into the cloak.

He finally managed to get a good hold around her stomach and back and pulled. He was able to pry her off, but the cloak came with it. Revealing the mysterious stranger.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


  
**Chapter Five**   


  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


She was a cat. A ginger tabby with a kind round face. Large, movable paws, and a tail that reached down to brush against the floor. Even stranger than that, she was dressed in a strange white and black dress and a matching hat that covered her ears.

That was something I definitely hadn't been expecting. And from the stunned looks on Rory-san and Amy-san's faces I doubted that they had been expecting it either. Shijima-sama took advantage of their shock to wiggle out from Rory-san's grasp. She was transforming before she hit the ground.

Now even The Doctor was staring. So he hadn't known what Shi-san was. I hadn't been sure.

"What is the meaning of this?" Shijima-sama hissed, her golden eyes flashing. Her long white hair swished back and forth like the tail she no longer had. She didn't seem to notice that she was naked.

Rory-san certainly did. He blushed an embarrassed red from his cheeks to his ears and turned so that he was looking in the opposite direction. The other three didn't seem to care anymore than I did.

"Who is this imposter?" She continued pointing her clawed finger at the strangely dressed ginger.

I expected the ginger to hiss in response. Instead she fell to her knees in a deep bow. "My Blessed Lady. I did not realize it was you. I am sorry that I did not show you the proper respect when you first arrived. Had I known I would have announced myself as is proper."

Despite the cat-woman's strange words, her deferential tone seemed to ease Shijima-sama's ire. She relaxed enough to fall out of her fighting stance. "I don't believe you were the one at fault in this situation.” She turned her attention to Doctor-sama. "I see that Miharu-kun was right to distrust you. You are up to something."

"I suspected that you were more than you appeared. The Cat Nuns have pictures of their Goddess and your cat form bore a strong resemblance. But I had no idea that you had evolved to the point where you had a human form." He moved closer to her, bending down so that he could stare into her eyes. He brought his wand towards her. "However did you managed it. This kind of transformation is far beyond anything humans in your time are capable."

She grabbed his wand away. "Enough of that. I demand to know what is going on!"

"I'd love to tell you , but I'm afraid that I can't say until I know how you managed to get stuck in this form."

They were both so pointlessly stubborn. "It was the Shinra Banshou."

Doctor-sama turned to stare at me. "I thought you said you'd never used the Multidimensional beings power?"

"I didn't. But one of its past hosts did. He experimented with ways to give animals human hearts. Shijima-sama was one of his experiments." I decided not to mentions Kouichi-kun. Not until I saw how Doctor-sama would handle Shijima-sama's existence.

He turned his attention back from her, grabbing his wand back and using his height to hold it out of her reach. "I suppose that would explain how she came to be with you. How long have you been alive?" He asked.

"150 years."

"Are you immortal?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I cannot be killed if that is what you mean. Whatever power resides inside the Shinra Banshou remade me in its image."

"Is she telling the truth?" He asked me.

I nodded. " She looks like the Fairy. Feels like her too."

"Interesting." He started poking at Shijima-sama again.

She bore his examination with more grace than I'd expected. Only scratching him twice before he stopped, finally seeming satisfied with whatever he'd discovered.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"So I think that with Novice Hame's” he nodded towards the ginger cat “ help I should be able to pull the Shinra Banshou out without too much trouble. I should be able to scan Shijima and get a good read on what the Hijutu's power signature looks like. Then it will just be a matter of pulling that power signature out of you and containing it until I can release it into the void."

Well that sounded suspiciously simple. "And it won't hurt me?"

Doctor-sama shifted around uncomfortably. "I can't guarantee that. Having somebody mess with your life force is always uncomfortable. But there shouldn't be any permanent damage."

"And can you do the same thing for Shijima-sama?"

We suddenly had Shijima-sama full attention. She had been wandering around Novice Hame-san's healing chamber while Rory-san wandered behind her trying to get her to put on his spare overshirt. Now she bounded over to stand next to the Doctor. "Could you?"

Doctor-sama's face shifted and he suddenly looked both very old and very kind. It reminded me of how Grandmother looked when I asked a question about my mother's death. It was the look that said I was too young to understand what it was that I was asking. "I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do for you Shijima. The Shinra Banshous power influences you in a very different way than it affects Miharu.

"Miharu has a second life force trapped within his body. You only have one."

"So take it out of me."

"It's not-"

"I don't care if it kills me. I just want to die."  
Hame-san gasped, her furry face pulled into a look of horror that I'd only seen on Yoite-kitty's when I threatened him with a bath. If this situation had been different I would have laughed. "Surely you don't mean that My Lady. You are my Goddess. You can't die!"

Shijima-sama hissed in irritation. "I didn't ask to be your God and I've searched for years. Looking for a way to die. I'll do whatever it takes."

"It's not that simple." Doctor-sama interrupted. "I can't take the life-force out of you."

"Why not? Are you too afraid to kill?"

It was Rory-san's turn to gasp. "You can't just say things like that!"

Doctor-sama motioned to Amy-san and she quickly clapped her hand over her husband's mouth. "I'm over 900 years old. I've killed far more people than you have. And I've hated every death but that has never stopped me from doing what I needed to do, so don't talk to me about fear."

900 years! Did that mean he was the same Doctor that had warned the Nabari ancestors to keep its power away from the regular humans?

"You can't be that old."

"I am. And do you know what I've learned over those years? I've learned that death doesn't solve anything."

"Maybe not, but I still want to die. I was never meant to live for this long."

"As I was saying before you started in on my inability to kill, I can't fix you because you only have one life-force. A person's original life force is fused to their body. If I tried to destroy your life force, it would destroy your body too. But you still wouldn't be dead." Doctor-sama's face shifted back into his usual jovial expression, but there was still something dark and old about his eyes."I'm pretty sure you don't want that."

Strangely enough knowing that he was hiding something dark under his manically cheerful facade made me feel better. I knew all about using masks to protect yourself. "If would happen to her if her body was destroyed but she didn't die?"

He shrugged. "It's hard to say, but the last immortal who tried it, came back to life as nothing but a giant head. He had to live in a jar for the rest of his life."

"The face of Boe." Hame-san's tone was reverent.

"You said the rest of his life. So that means that it did work. He was able to die." Shijima-sama hissed.

Doctor-sama stared at her for a second before responding. "He did die, but he spent over one hundred thousand years trapped inside a jar before he did. I don't even know if having his life-force ripped out affected his ability to die. It's possible his life foce just ran out. When people speak about immortality they usually don't consider the fact that time can stretch on forever. Even an immortal's life force isn't likely to last that long."

Shijima-sama didn't seem to have anything to say in response to that.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


Hame-san showed us to the back room of her home. It held a large bookcase full of dusty scrolls and another, smaller set of herb drawers. Set above a worktable. Unlike the ingredients in the other drawers I actually recognized some of these. The whole room was filled with their smell. It reminded me strongly of Jiju-chan's workroom in the Fumma village.

She cleared off space on a second worktable, moving scrolls, candles, and various other odds and ends into piles on the floor. Before helping me up onto the table. Yoite-kitty jumped up to cuddle with me. Hame-san started digging around in the bookcase and her drawers, pulling out various scrolls and herbs, only to put them back and grab something else.

"Why did you call Shijima-sama your lady and bow to her?" I couldn't resist asking since I could be sure that nobody would overhear. They had all returned to the TARDIS to look for some sort of containment devise that the Doctor had apparently lost when the TARIS reformed. Whatever that was supposed to mean.

"She is my Order's Lady. Our creator."

"Your order?"

She motioned to her dress. "We are an order, a priesthood, that believes in the preservation of life beyond all else. It is the mission our Lady gave us."

"That doesn't really sound like Shijima-sama." She had a soft spot for creating death and mayhem.

Hame-san nodded. "She is not at all as I imagined, but now that The Doctor has explained that she is one like The Face of Boe I understand this difference."

That didn't make a lot of sense.

"You see I served that great man for many over a century. And throughout that time I saw how he grew and changed. As the time of his death grew nearer he became calmer and put more and more value upon the preservation of life. He eventually died to save the people of Earth. It makes sense that the Lady would be similar."

"I'll take your word for it." I didn't know who this face of Boe guy was but I couldn't see Shijima-sama ever mellowing with age.

"You have to understand. Things are different for time travels. Your Shijima will have lived for thousands of years before she meets my people."

"Thousands of years?" She was actually going to live that long?

It was the 52nd century when she created our order. Humans had destroyed and abandoned the world. My people were dying when the Lady found us. She used her own life force to change us and make use able to leave the planet. It is said that she used the last of her life to give my people a chance to continue with her mission of protecting life."

I couldn't imagine it, but then a year before I wouldn't have been able to imagine that the Nabari world existed. Still there was something important about her story. "You said that your Lady died. Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure. All of our orders records of that time say the same thing."

So Shijima-sama could die. That was good. "I just have one more question before I let you get back to gathering supplies."

"What is it?"

"Do you know anything about a being like Shijima that could take the form of an owl? He might have died around the same time."

Her eyebrows crinkled together and cocked her a to the side. "I cannot remember ever having heard of another being like my Lady. If they existed they did not appear to my ancestors. Is it important?"

I gave her a big smile." No, it's fine. I was just curious."

"All right." She didn't look like she believed me.

Thankfully, the Doctor bounded into the room before she could question me further. A strange hourglass like contraption was in his hands. I supposed that it was the containment unit he'd been looking for. "So are you ready to get this show on the road?"

"Why not?"

"Alright just lay down on the table and we'll get started. Hame did you find the scroll you needed?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Then let's get started." He pushed me to lay flat on the table, handing Yoite-kitty off to Hame-san. She traded him for a knife which he used it to prick his finger. He used the blood to start writing on my skin and the world started to fade.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


I found myself in the large empty space that the Shinra Banshou inhabited. Lines of script swirled around the floor and floated up to surround my body. Coalescing into the Fairy.

"So you've finally reconsidered using my power?"

"No. I'm here to destroy you."

"Don't be ridiculous. That's impossible."

"I found a way."

"Even if you do find a way to survive my removal, I'll simply find a new host."

"No. You won't. You're going back where you came from. Back into the Void." At the last word the space around us filled with a red pulsing light. I felt queasy, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

Her eyes widened. It was the first time I'd ever seen her appear as anything but arrogantly sure of her ability. "You can't."

"I can."

Her tone became wheedling. "I could give him back to you." The fairy hissed. "I could make it so that he would never leave you again. All you have to do is wish."

It would be so easy to agree. To wish for Yoite to be returned to my side. But I could still remember how peaceful he had looked in the end when he begged me to leave things as they were. He wouldn't wish to live if the price was losing the memories of the friendship and family he had found. Still, would it really hurt to give in if The Fairy could find a way to keep his memories intact?

It would be worth his being angry with me if it meant I could be with him again.

"That's right, you want him back don't you? Just make one simple wish and everything will be over. You'll never have to be alone again."

I opened my mouth, not sure if I was going to make a wish or scream at her to stop talking. Before I could do anything the area around us changed colors. A soothing blue light filled the vast space.

My mother had come. Her spirit still merged with my memories and the power of the Shinra Banshou. But it was the person at her side who had all of my attention.

"Yoite!"I was running before I even thought about it. Until I hit Yoite's chest and was holding tightly too his long, black coat. This was something I could never have done in the Real World, but it felt so good to have my other half so close. "I've missed you."

He patted my head softly with his gloved hand. "I'm sorry Miharu. I didn't want to leave you alone."

"Would it be wrong of me to wish for you to come back? I could ask the Fairy to keep your memories intact so you wouldn't forget me."

He gave me a sad look. "I'm sorry Miharu, but you can't bring me back."

"But why not?" I was crying now. Not the fake tears I was used to shedding but real tears. They trickled silently down my cheeks and I couldn't seem to stop them.

"I'm happy here. Happier than I ever was when I was alive. Please don't take that away from me."

I clutched at him harder, not wanting to lose him again.

"Remember what you promised me? You said that you would never use the Shinra Banshou. Please, Miharu, I know it's hard but you have to keep that promise."

"But then I'll lose you."

The soft leather of his glove was soft against my cheek as he rubbed my tears away. "We'll be together again. I promise. I'll do whatever it takes to find my way back to your side. But for now you have to let me go. If you give in, the Fairy will steal your life away. She'll make it so that you can never die and we can never be together again."

"I-"

"Promise me that you'll take this chance to be free."

My mother came up behind me and pulled me into a hug. "Promise us."

"I will."

"I could give them both back to you. They wouldn't have to know that you'd broken your promise." The Fairy shrieked. I could hear the desperation in her voice.

I pulled away from Yoite and my mother. Until I could face the Fairy and look her in the eyes. "No."

"But Miharu." She wheedled.

"No!" This time I shouted it. The fairy shrunk in front of my eyes. She no longer had power over me. I had made my decision and I wouldn't be swayed. "I have a wish for you. I wish that you would go away!"

"NO!" She reached for me. Her hands grasping like claws but before she could touch me she started to disintegrate into smoke.

Then the soul-sucking pain started. It felt like I was being ripped apart and stitched back together, badly. I screamed. But I didn't change my mind. I wanted the Shinra Banshou gone.

This pain was worth it if it meant being free of the curse laid upon me by the fairy. It felt good knowing that this pain meant nobody else would ever have to deal with her in their head. Or deal with the way people sought them out to kill them or force them to use the fairies power to grant their wishes.

I'd been lucky, having my friends choose me over the fairy but I knew that wasn't normal. I could still remember the sight of my mother laying on the ground. Her breath coming in pained gasps as she begged Thobari-sensei to save me. I never wanted something like that to happen again. Never wanted anyone else to feel the pain I had.

When the darkness finally welled up to overtake the cavernous space, I welcomed it. And the lack of awareness it brought with it.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


When I woke up I was back in my bed aboard the TARDIS Yoite-kitty curled up beneath my chin and Shijima-sama was leaning over me. "The Doctor-san is about to release the Shinra Banshou into the Void. I figured you'd want to watch."

"Thanks." Pulling myself up to sit on the bed. Shocked by how weak I felt. "How long have I been out?"

She plopped down to sit next to me on the bed. "Not too long, About a day and a half"

"You didn't kill the Doctor while I was asleep, did you?"

"No. I behaved. The worst he got was a couple of scratches. Which he completely deserved."

I didn't want to know. "Can you get me some clothes? I don't really want to walk around in just a pair of sleeping pants."

"I suppose." She hopped off of the bed and started digging through the wardrobe. She tossed a pair of black pants, my favorite butterfly hoodie, and Yoite's hat over her shoulder and onto the bed.

I stiffened. In the months since Yoite's death, I had carried his hat with me everywhere but I'd never worn it. I was about to tell Shijima-sama to put it away again, but I stopped at the last second.

I remembered how at peace and happy Yoite had looked. I still missed him, but it didn't hurt so much now that I knew he was happy. It was good to know that I'd made the right decision. I pushed myself up to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled on my clothes. Then I put the hat on and stood up.

I would have fallen back down if Shijima-sama hadn't caught me.

I gave her a grateful smile. "Come on. Let's go. I don't want to miss Doctor-sama throwing the Shinra Banshou into the void."

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


"Where are Rory-san and Amy-san?" I asked Doctor-sama.

He looked up from where he'd been fooling with a strange lever on the room's central console. "Oh! So you're finally awake. I'm afraid Amy was very impatient to leave for their honeymoon. She did say to tell you goodbye."

I nodded, not really surprised. Amy-san had seemed like the type of person who waited to be patient. "Shijima-sama said that you were ready to send the Hijutsu into the void?"

"Yep. I was just waiting for you to wake up. I figured you'd want to watch."

"Thanks."

"Let me just start her up, then we can get started." He jumped manically around the console. Pulling, pushing, yanking, and twisting various switches, buttons, and levers. He stopped in front of a large gold-rimmed view screen that hung from the ceiling. He seemed pleased when he saw that it was showing the image of a swirling purple and blue vortex. Clapping his hands together, he said, "Let's get this show on the road."

He went over to the doors and opened them up. The swirling vortex we'd seen on the view screen was revealed. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. Something about that strange space was threatening.  
"You can come closer. It's not dangerous as long as you're careful." The TARDIS gave an ominous shaking creak. "Well it's not dangerous as long as we don't spend a long time here. The TARDIS doesn't like it much." He patted the door frame. "She doesn't get along well with the time vortex."

Shijima-san joined him at the door, the green, glass containment unit balanced between her hands. There was a shining power, that looked like a miniature red sun, inside of it now. Which I assumed was the Shinra Banshou.

"Do you want to be the one to release it?" Doctor-sama asked me.

I shook my head, backing up until my back hit the edge of the console. I didn't want to be anywhere near the Fairy when she was released. I still didn't trust her to stay contained. "You can go ahead."

He gave me an understanding smile. "All right." Reaching out he took the containment chamber from Shi-sama. Then he unscrewed the top segment. The Shinra Banshou rose up to hover midair. Lines of script fell from the light like rain, landing on the floor and flowing across the surface towards me.

My breath caught. She was coming for me. I kept backing away until my heels were hanging over the edge of the console room's floor. I would have jumped , as I'd seen the Doctor do a few days before, but I was transfixed by the ever increasing lines of script. The floor surrounding me was almost completely black with it. This had all been pointless I was about to get taken as the Hijutsu's host again

A high whine filled the cavernous room, echoing off of the walls and growing louder by the second. The script froze, quivering. Before it rose up off of the floor and flowed back into the glowing ball of the Shinra Banshou.

Doctor-sama gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect it to be quite that fast. I hope it didn't scare you."

I stared at him in disbelief, until Shijima-sama slapped him.

After that it was surprisingly easy to get rid of the Fairy. The Doctor kept using his wand to transmit the sound that kept the Hijustu paralyzed. The he sort of scooped it up with the containment unit and shook it out over into the void. It was obvious that despite the trouble it was having with the Doctor it would rather stay in the containment unit than go back into the void.

Luckily for me, Doctor-sama was more stubborn than even the fairy. He held his screwdriver between his teeth, so that he had both hands free to hold the containment chamber. Then he started banging it vigorously against the doorframe.

Until the Hijustu finally fell out and disappeared into the void. Slamming the door shut he ran back to the console and yanked on a lever. The TARDIS shuddered one last time before the engines ground to a stop with one last quiet whoop. "That wasn't too bad was it?"

Shijima-sama slapped him again.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


  
**Epilogue**   


  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


We landed in Kumohira-sensei 's garden the morning after we had left. Shijima-sama was back in her cat form and ran away the moment the TARDIS doors opened. But I stayed behind for a few minutes to say my goodbyes and thank yous. Soon enough there wasn't anything else to say and I had to leave the TARDIS as well.

It was sad seeing the little blue box disappear, slowly disappearing with the same soft whoop, whoop that I'd heard when it first appeared. But I wasn't too upset. The key hanging around my neck, promised that I would someday see Doctor-sama and his amazing box again. Someday, when I was ready, I'd travel the stars. But for now, it was time to adjust back to living on Earth.

I tucked Yoite-kitty under my arm, pulled Yoite's hat further down on my head, and headed to Grandmother's house with a smile on my face. It was good to be back home.

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/chibifukurou/pic/0006krw2/)   


  
**THE END**   



End file.
